Retractable Electrode Ablation Sheath for Track Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RF ablation devices for treating tumors, particularly in organs like the lung, face challenges such as pneumothorax, unpredictable ablation volumes, and risk of tumor seeding due to the need for precise device placement and the inability to deliver surgical materials effectively.
Innovation Solution
A tissue ablation device with a sheath and retractable electrodes that allows for direct delivery of surgical materials through the vacated lumen, enabling controlled ablation and immediate treatment of complications like pneumothorax and bleeding, and a hybrid monopolar/bipolar ablation method for consistent and predictable ablation volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional lasers or RF energy are used to ablate tissue, then the tissue can be removed, but the surrounding healthy tissue is damaged and the procedure requires invasive insertion of needles or probes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a reflective interface (such as a mirror or reflective coating) as an intermediary to redirect laser energy away from healthy tissue. The reflective interface is positioned between the laser source and the target tissue, allowing the laser to be steered precisely at the boundary between healthy and diseased tissue, thereby avoiding direct damage to surrounding healthy tissue while maintaining the ability to ablate the target area effectively
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tissue treatment by precisely defining the boundary between healthy and diseased tissue regions. By using the reflective interface to control laser energy distribution, the system creates a clear spatial separation where laser energy is concentrated only at the interface between tissue types, allowing selective ablation of diseased tissue while preserving healthy tissue structures
2Manufacturing precision
If laser energy is directed at the interface between healthy and diseased tissue, then precise ablation can occur, but the laser must be steered at precise angles which is difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The reflective interface serves as a passive intermediary that automatically directs laser energy at the precise angle needed to define the tissue boundary. Rather than requiring active steering control, the reflective interface is positioned at a specific orientation that passively redirects the laser beam along the desired path, simplifying the control mechanism while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an optical equipotential situation where the reflective interface is positioned at an angle that allows laser energy to be distributed uniformly along the tissue boundary. This geometric configuration ensures that the laser energy naturally follows the boundary shape without requiring complex real-time angle adjustment, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining precision
3Reliability
If a reflective interface is positioned between the laser and tissue to prevent damage, then healthy tissue is protected, but the interface itself becomes a new component that may be misplaced or malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin-film reflective coating or flexible reflective interface that can be conformally applied to the tissue surface or integrated into the delivery system. This thin-film approach reduces the bulk and complexity of the reflective component while maintaining its protective function, and allows it to adapt to the curvature of the tissue surface without requiring complex positioning mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The reflective interface is designed to be self-positioning or self-aligning within the delivery system. The interface automatically orients itself relative to the laser beam and tissue boundary through the geometry of the delivery mechanism, eliminating the need for complex external positioning systems. This self-service capability reduces the risk of misplacement and simplifies the overall device structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces the risk of complications by allowing direct access to the ablation site and track for immediate treatment of issues, achieves larger and more controlled ablations, and minimizes the need for further surgical interventions.
Implementation Method 1
Ablation of a target tissue may be performed using a laser beam
Implementation Method 2
converting optical energy to thermal energy to destroy the tissue
Implementation Method 3
A reflective interface may be positioned between the laser beam and the tissue to be treated
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein are tissue ablation devices and methods. The device comprises a sheath comprising a distal end that is positionable at an ablation site in the tissue, a proximal end and a lumen extending therebetween. The device also comprises one or more electrodes that are advanceable and retractable through the lumen, wherein a distal portion of the one or more electrodes is deployable into a tissue ablating configuration from the distal end of the sheath upon advancement, and the one or more electrodes are removable from the lumen via the proximal end of the sheath upon retraction, whereupon the lumen becomes vacated. The sheath is configured for a surgical material to traverse the vacated lumen for delivery from the distal end of the sheath into the tissue.